Punch



Aug. 19 1924.

G. P. GAIL.

PUNCH Filed Dec. l5 1922 \.\\,\v Y -L J. |1 lill! @z :m :m

W/ TIVESSES Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED@ STA/'rss GEORGEAPHILIP, Gfx-113 or BALTIMORE; MARYLAND, ASSelencaY To muaeaniuanui rncnitiative1,courrant-Y,orvr BALTIMQRRLMARYLAND. yA coaroaamiononivraax- LAND.

i PUNCH;

Application 'filed neee'mbr 15; sentirne. 607,168.

To aZZfw/wm vit/may concern.' e

Be it known that I, GnonenRfGML, a citizen of theUnited" States, and a resident offBaltimore, in the State of Maryland5l1ave 5 inventedv a new and Improvedy Punch,v of

which the following is a full,` clear, and exact, description. f n

Thisinvention has relationy to a device for perforating sheet material and'has reference t'o a punch which is particularly designedl for the' purpose of perforating paper sheets for accurately fitting theretaining elements rof a loose leaf binder.r j

y One of the principal objects ofthe present invention is t'oJprovide a device'of" the chairacter described which facilitates the accurate spacing of the per-forations in a sheet whereby the samefwil'l fit a loose-leaf binder.

A, further object of the invention lies in thesimplicity and cheapness oflconstruction ofthe punch elementswliich involve 'a vminimum number of manufacturing operations.

As a furtherV object thek invention'contemplates, adevice for perforatinga plurality of openings ina sheet, which is capable of adjustment .for spacing, the perforations",

withrespect to each other and rfelati'vetofthe. marginof the sheet.

As. a still further. object` the invention ycontemplates a punch element4 whichA is provided with suitable means. for stripping the sheets from the" punch plug, and whichv affordsmeans' for. permitting' ofL the clearing ofthe punchings therefrom..

, The invention, furthermore cont eInplfatesfr a@ device for punching ka plurality of apertures in` asheet which. is so constructed to permit of itsr association with a loose leaf binder without interfering with the open- Y ing or closing of,` the samez.

Wfithr the. above recited, andl ethery objects in, view, the invention; resides'inthe novel' construction set forth in the following speci- 'fatony partbularly. pointed. out mth@ aprpended. claims. ande illustrated' in'y thel` accompanying drawing, it beingunderstood that e the-.right is reserved to embodiments other than. those actually. illustrated hereinjt'o the full extent y indicated by the l general meaning vof the terms in` whichv the claims arelexpressed.. y

InV the drawingc e,

Figure 1 isa plan view ofy a punchingydetherebetweenl Referring to the drawing by characters reference 10 designates a flat strip Lof material provided with graduationsll on its" 'y upperface adjacent one edge.r A plurality of,"punchr elementsdesignated generally by the character 12 are associated therewith-fV `and areadjusted relatively on the strip 1,0 to conform with thefgraduations thereon" whereby rto obtain *a measured distance y They punch elements l2' are constructed from a lsir'lgle strip of 're- ,silient material which is kbent, upon itself to provide *a palroff' superposed leaves connectedl at oner end. The lowerleaf 13 is fof slightly greater length than the upper leaf and constitutesa base which is provided with an aperture 14 adjacent its free end to constitute a female die member.

edges `ofthe base arer depressedorfoifset downwardly toprovide a pairof 'parallel strengtheningy and vsupporting-ribs 15 which *elevate the lower surfacev ofr theportion whichflies therebetweenrk above the supporti" ing surface;` They upper leaf' is provided `i witha pair of U-shapedslits 16 and 17.-, the `former yslit defining a spring tongue 18y and the latter an attaching lug 19'which is rprovi'dedwith an elongatedfr opening 20, said lug being bent rearwardly and curved upwardly suicient tol raisey it` above the backbone' ofa ring binder :to lallow the base o'rflower leaf 13 to-` rest flatk when the binder is opened. The remaining uncut? portion of the upper 'leaffwhich is substantially a U-shaped element 21 is spaced above and parallel to the 4lower. leaf `13' for the major portion offits `length. Adjacent its free extremitytheele-l ment'21 isk offsetdownwardly'l as at 22 and'is f upturned slightlyy at its extreme freeV end as at 23j toafford an entering mouth 24 to fa- Clitate the( insertion of a: sheet therebeneath "and betweenxthe same and the base or lower;

leaf 13 which extends yslightly vbeyond the" upturnedrextremity r23 to provide fa shelf upon whiclrtlie rsheetjis initially rlaid prior toits insertion.` The side `legsof the' slit 16 converge toward'the bight portion bf the.l

slit, thus forming the tongue 18 with complementary converging side edges from its connected end to its vouter free end. Adjacent the connected end the spring tongue 18 is bent upwardly to provide a transversekv beading which, lin addition to increasing the resiliency of thesalne, draws the tongue ybackwardly relative to the element 21 to -retained in aposition by a forced fit with the head 29 overlyingthe upper surface of the tongue to provide. a manipulating portion with which the thumb or linger engages. The tongue 18 is normally disposed v4at an linclination from its connected end to itsfree end whereby the lower end of the punch plug 27y will be normally .elevated above the lower surface of the element 21 adjacent its free extremity.v The element 21 constitutes astripper to allow for the withdrawa'l .of the punchA plug from the sheet when pressure on 'the tongue is released and said element 21 inV addition constitutes a clamp adjacent itsconnected end for associating the punch elements 12 with the strip orruler 10.

Inuse and operation, when a sheet is inserted between the stripper 21 and the base 1K3 the tongue 18 is pressed down by the' thumb or fingerrby pressure exerted on the head 29, thus causing the plug 27 toenter ythe aperture 14C and perforate the sheet.

y When the pressure is released the tonguelS,

Vdue to its inherentresiliency, springs back j to its normal inclined position to'withdraw the plug from the aperture 14 yand the sheet. `'lheisheet is preventedby the stripper member 21 from moving upwardly with the plug and Viswtherefore stripped from the' same. The punchings are allowed to fall through into the'clearance space 3() definedcbetween the under side lof the base and the-support.

The strip or ruler '10 serves as ay gage for the 'distance betweenthe perforations in the sheet andthe edge of the sheet,` which dis- ,tance` may be varied by the widthof strip y .orfpruler 10 which is employed. Any number of punch elements 12 may be associated with the strip or, ruler 10 or said punch elementsmay be individually used, the lugs 19 vconstituting means for associating' the same c with a key ring or watch chain. l

l claim: Y t t A `1. punching device comprising abase having an ,apertured end, a leaf having a longitudinal slotV connected to the non-apertured endwof the base and overlying the same in a substantially parallel plane thereto, a resilient arm connected to said nonapertured" end of the base, normally projecting upwardly at an inclination'thereto and movable through the slot in said leaf,.7 a punch plug carried by the free endl-lof said arm adapted upondepression of the arm, to cooperate with the aperture for perforating asheet inserted between the leaf and the base, the said leaf constituting a 7 stripper member adapted to strip the sheet from the unch plug upon upwardmovement of e arm therethrough. c .l

2. A punching device comprising a base having an apertured end, a leafhaving a 8 longitudinal slot connected 'to the non-aper-L tured end of the base and overlying the same in a substantially parallel vplane thereto, a resilient arm connected to said n'onapertured' end of the base,` normally projecting upwardly 'at an inclination thereto. l and movable through the slot in said leaf,

a punch plug carried by the 'free end of said arm adapted uponv Adepression of the arm, to cooperate withV the aperture for perforating a sheet inserted between the leaf j and the base, the said leaf constituting a' stripper member adapted to strip the'sheet from the punch plug vupon upwardmovement of the arm therethrough, said arm being upwardly offset adjacent its connect- A ed end'for receiving'and embracing a graduated'bar whereby the punching device is associated with the graduated' bar, and

whereby said bar when yassociated with the punching device serves as a stop with which p the edgescof the' sheet are adapted to coact when inserted in the punching device.y

7 A sheet punch consisting Aof' afba'se having an apertured end constituting afemale `die membena.resilientleaf having a g longitudinal slot connected to the non-apertured end yof the base and overlying the c same ina plane substantially parallel thereto, said leaf having its forward free end oifset downwardly with its connected'end verti-.

cally.` spaced from the base,v a 'resilient arm" connectedto said 'non-apertured'end ofthe base normally projecting upwardly at anL inclination thereto and adapted for movement through the slot in saidleafy upon deu pression of its free end, a plug carried by saidfree end of the arm constitutingamale die member adapted uponA depressionof said armto cooperate .withlfth'e female die por- 120 tion of the base to perforate a 'sheet insert-.z A ed between the leafand base, the said 'leaf`A 'constituting with the .base a sheet clamping means, and said'leaf l`further constitutinga stripper memberadapted upon anupward movement of' the'arm therethrough to stripp-` the sheet from the' punch plug.

4. A sheet punch consisting of Tbase having an apertured end constituting'a female diemember,a're'sil'ient leaf `having a 130 longitudinal slot connected to the non-apertured end of the base and overlying the same in a plane substantially parallel thereto, said leaf having its forward free end oifset downwardly with its connected end vertically spaced from the base, a resilient arm connected to said non-apertured end of the base normally projecting upwardly at an inclination thereto and adapted for movement through the slot in said leaf upon depression of its free end, a plug carried'by said free end of the arm constituting a male die member adapted upon depression of said arm to coo erate with the female die portion of the ase to perforate a sheet inserted between the leaf and base, the said leaf constituting with the base a sheet clamping means, and said leaf further constituting a stripper member adapted upon an upward movement of the arm therethrough to strip the sheet from the punch plug, the said base having downwardly offset longitudinal Side portions constituting strengthening ribs and serving to space the lower face of the portion lying between said downwardly offset portions from the supporting' surface to aord a clearance space for the punchings.

5. A sheet punch constructed from a single piece ore-resilient material bent upon itself to form superposed leaves'connected at one end, the lower leaf having an aperture adjacent its free end and constituting a female die member, the upper leaf having awsubstantially U-shaped slit the bight of which is located adjacent the free end of said leaf, said slit dividing the upper vleaf into a U-shaped arm which lies parallel to the lower leaf and constitutes a stripper member and into an arm disposed at a normal upward inclination, a plug carried by said inclined arm and constituting therewith adepressible male die member adapted 'j upon depression to cooperate with the apertured portion of the female die member to perforate a sheet inserted between the stripper member and the lower leaf and adapted f to cooperate with said stripper member upon release of the male die member, to effect the stripping of the perforated sheet from the male die member.

6. A sheet punch constructed from a single piece of resilient material bent upon itself to form superposed leaves connected at one end, the lower leaf having an `aperture adjacent its free end and constituting a femaley die member, the upper leaf having a substantially `U-shaped slit the bight of which is located adjacent the free end of said leaf, said `slit dividing the upper leaf into a U-shaped arm which lies parallel to the lowerr leaf and constitutes a stripper f member and intoan arm disposed at a normal upward inclination, a plug ca'rried by said inclined arm and constituting there with la depressible male die member adapted upon depression to cooperate with the ap-' ertured portion of the female die member to perforate a sheet inserted between the stripper member and the lower leaf and adapted f to cooperate with said stripper member upon release of the malezdie member, to effect the stripping of the perforated sheet fromthe male die member, and an apertured lug cut from the spring tongue and bent in an oppositedirection thereto to provide anattaching means for associating the device with another, article.

GEORGE PHILIP GAIL. 

